I got an Xbox Wired Controller input but after getting that working, I lost the ability to use "select+start" to exit the ROM, or any button combination for that matter, either on the Controller, or the retrostone's buttons itself... any advice?

I did find this post actually, I read it and that is how I was able to work my Xbox 360 controller in the first place. What the configure input didn't have, at least that I saw, was a way to tell the system how to exit the Roms. Default d-pad has it as "select + start" but I didn't see where it allowed you to set that with a game pad.

Were you originally able to exit with those keys? Some emulators have different exit keys.
In my case, there's no problem exiting with start+select combination of gamepad if it is actually exit button.

If you are asking if I was originally able to do that [EXIT A ROM BY HOLDING SELECT + START} on the Retrostones buttons... Yes... without needing to set it as an option. But, when configuring a Gamepad, like the xbox controller, it asked for me to set"UP" and "DOWN" as well as "A" and "B" and importantly "SELECT" and "START" but it DID NOT allow me to tell the system how to exit the ROM.... and Select + start does not work

Usually, when I connect a usb gamepad (I tried a ps4 ds4), the RetroStone becomes the 2nd player controller, and the new gamepad replaces it as the 1st player controller. So, when I have another gamepad connected, I need to push select+start on the usb controller to exit a game (don't forget you need to configure select as your hotkey for the usb gamepad)